Deal completed to preserve Sonoma coast, forest

CONSERVATION

Published 4:00 am, Friday, December 18, 2009

Image 1of/2

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 2

Image 2 of 2

Ferreira (left) and Edwards walk south on the newly acquired property with the Russian River in background. The 5,630 acre Jenner Headlands has been acquired by the Sonoma Land Trust after five years of negotiations. David Ferreira, one of the property owners, and project manager Brook Edwards toured the area Thursday December 17, 2009 on the day the deal closes escrow. less

Ferreira (left) and Edwards walk south on the newly acquired property with the Russian River in background. The 5,630 acre Jenner Headlands has been acquired by the Sonoma Land Trust after five years of ... more

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

Deal completed to preserve Sonoma coast, forest

1 / 2

Back to Gallery

A Sonoma County conservation group completed the long-sought purchase of 5,630 acres of coastal grasslands and redwood forest Thursday, permanently opening to the public a stunning landscape teeming with wildlife.

The Sonoma Land Trust bought the sprawling site known as the Jenner Headlands for $36 million, making it the largest land acquisition for conservation in Sonoma County history.

It means 2 1/2 miles of coastline with spectacular views of the rugged bluffs and ocean will be open for future recreation, including a new segment of the California Coastal Trail.

The deal preserves habitat for a wide variety of migratory birds, raptors and wildlife just north of Jenner.

"Coastal properties of this size in California are few and far between," said Amy Chesnut, the acquisitions director and manager of the project for the Sonoma Land Trust. "It is biologically rich, and scenically and visually very important."

The old ranch site, east of Highway 1 near the spot where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean, is adjacent to more than 13,000 acres of the Sonoma Coast State Park and other open space, creating an almost unbroken 30-mile stretch of preserved land from Bodega Head to Fort Ross. It includes 1,500 acres of coastal prairie, 3,100 acres of forest containing redwood and Douglas fir, and three spawning streams for steelhead trout.

Haven for animals

The area is a haven for rare species, including northern spotted owls and California red-legged frogs. Peregrine falcons and ospreys swoop over the prairie, and mountain lions and badgers regularly roam.

Once home to Kashaya Pomo settlements, the property was part of a Spanish land grant known as Muniz Rancho. Chesnut said Indian artifacts have been documented on the site.

The land was purchased by a sheep and cattle rancher named John Rule in the late 1860s. His family used the land as pasture for more than 100 years and sold its holdings in 1960.

The old Rule farmhouse was notorious for being haunted. After it burned down in 1985, the ghost, a woman in her 20s, was said to have moved to a nearby cottage inhabited by hunters and reportedly began appearing at night in a flowing white dress.

"About 10 years ago, she just stopped appearing to the people in the cottage, which was leased by hunters for many decades," Chesnut said.

The deal was made after five years of negotiations and a long delay caused by California's fiscal crisis, which cut off $16 million in bond funding.

Change of plans

When negotiations began in 2005, the owners were considering developing as many as 38 parcels. Instead, they were persuaded by Sonoma County Supervisor Mike Reilly to consider selling to the land trust.

The transaction was finally completed with the help of 10 public and private funding partners, including the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, which is paying a third of the cost.

The three sellers helped, donating $1 million to the Sonoma Land Trust to complete the sale.

"This is one of the most spectacularly beautiful tracts of land on the entire Pacific Coast," wrote Ollie Edmunds, CEO of Gualala Redwoods and a general partner of the other two companies. Gualala Redwoods still owns 29,572 acres in the area. "All of the landowners are very excited that this beautiful property will be preserved for the enjoyment of all Californians."

Guided hikes soon

The plan is to offer guided hikes along the coast beginning in January. The land will be studied, and a 2 1/2-mile stretch of the California Coastal Trail will be built over the next two years.

Chesnut said the trust is trying to raise $4 million for operating costs. The goal is to open portions of the property for recreational activities and eventually turn the land over to a public agency, like California State Parks.

The property will continue to be used for environmentally sound grazing, and the forest will be sustainably managed, meaning some logging could occur for thinning purposes, Chesnut said.

She said a multiagency program to reintroduce endangered coho salmon is already under way at Sheephouse Creek.

Sonoma County Supervisor Efren Carrillo said preservation of the land, where a person can sit on an ancient serpentine outcropping and watch migratory whales, is good for wildlife, people and the environment.

"Instead of a handful of estate homes," he said, "we'll have thousands of acres of diverse habitat and, in the future, many miles of hiking trails, all protected forever."

Latest from the SFGATE homepage:

Click below for the top news from around the Bay Area and beyond. Sign up for our newsletters to be the first to learn about breaking news and more. Go to 'Sign In' and 'Manage Profile' at the top of the page.